Harness adjusters



March 22, 1966 c. F. KRAMER 3,241,574

HARNESS ADJUSTERS Filed Feb. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Shed 1 INVENTOR. CHARLES f. KRAMER ATTORNEY March 22, 1966 c, KRAMER 3,241,574

HARNESS ADJUSTERS Filed Feb. 18, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR.

CHA/PL [S E KRAMER ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,241,574 Patented Mar. 22, 1966 3,241,574 HARNESS ADJUSTERS Charles F. Kramer, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Feb. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 345,689 9 Claims. (til. 139- 88) This invention relates to harness adjusters for loom harness, that is, to devices for adjustably connecting harness cords and heddle frames.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide adjustable connectors for loom harness of which the top and bottom rails of the heddle frames were made of wood. One such connector is shown in the prior patent to John J. Kaufmann, No, 2,040,790, and has been very extensively used. Such a connector is not, however, satisfactory with harness frames in which the top and bottom rails are of metal, such as aluminum or other light metal alloys. It was a particular characteristic of the structure of prior patent No. 2,040,790 that the thickness from front to back was less than that of the harness frame rail to avoid undesired rubbing. In other harness frame connectors, of which the Consoletti patent No. 2,640,506 may be taken as illustrative, the same thickness limitation has also been employed, even with harness frames having metal top and bottom rails.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a harness frame adjuster which is simple in construction, is of a material to reduce the tendency to Wear at its end attachments, which is preferably thicker than the heddle frame rails with which it is used to provide a positive separation between contiguous heddle frames, and which provides adequate adjustment to accommodate variations in the lengths of the harness cords.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a harness adjuster which serves the combined role of a heddle frame guide and a harness adjuster with which the frames are separated and guided in a truer path of movement, the resultant smoother operation providing an improved quality of woven fabric.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a harness adjuster of greater wear life than harness adjusters heretofore available, which further helps to overcome wear and premature frame failure, and in which a replaceable hook can be provided.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a harness adjuster having as a component an elongated body of wear resistant and friction reducing synthetic plastic material.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a harness adjuster which is simple in construction but has a wide range of usefulness not available with harness adjusters heretofore in actual use.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a harness adjuster having a dual role of heddle frame guide and harness adjuster which can be readily employed with existing equipment without changes therein.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which;

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a heddle frame having thereon harness adjusters in accordance with the invention showing the connection of harness cords with one type of end conection to a slide hook;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

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FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken. approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical central section showing a modified form of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a View partly in elevation and partly in vertical central section showing another mode of use of the harness adjuster of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a heddle frame 10 of known type is there shown, having top and bottom rails 11 and side struts 12 connecting the ends of the rails 11 and maintaining them in spaced parallel relation. Screws 13 can extend from the side struts 12 in threaded engagement in the ends of the rails.

The rails 11 are advantageously made of light metal alloys, of aluminum or magnesium, with opposite parallel side faces 11a, and may be formed as extrusions with T-shaped ribs 14 along their inner and outer edges.

The heddle frame 10 is shown as having mounted thereon upper and lower heddle supporting rods 15 extending into openings 16 in the side struts l2, and held in place by spring clips 17 engaging in T-shaped apertures 18 in the rods 15, The heddle supporting rods 15 support a plurality of heddles 19 having central warp eyes 20.

The heddle frame 10 and upper and lower harness cords 21 have interposed harness adjusters 25 hereinafter described.

The harness adjusters 25 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive, preferably each includes an elongated body 26 of substantially rectangular transverse or horizontal cross section with opposite parallel wide flat faces 27 and opposite parallel narrow faces 28, and of wear resistant and friction reducing material, such as nylon. The distance between the faces 27 is preferably greater than the distance between the faces flu but not in excess of the gage of the loorn in which the heddle frames 10 are used.

The terminals of the faces 27 can be founded as at 2'9 and the terminals of the faces 28 can converge as at 30.

For the type of connection as shown in FIG. 1, the body 26 has an otpening 31 formed therein at one end for reception of a hook 32 which may be a hook on the end of a harness cord 21. The opening 31 extends between opposite side faces 28 with bevelled portions 36 to pnovide a relief therdbelow and facilitate the introduction of the hook 32 into the opening 31.

The body 26 at the other end thereof has a longitudinally inwardly extending bore or opening 35 through which a threaded shank portion 36 of ahook 37 extends in intersecting relation to a central access opening 38. The access opening 38 extends from one side face 27 to the other side face 27 and at its outer end has an abutment plate 39 mounted therein with a shank receiving opening 40 for the shank portion 36.

The shank portion 36 has an externally knurled nut 41 thereon, the nut 41 being of lesser length than the opening 38 and of lesser external diameter than the distance I al between the faces 27. The nut 41 has a diametrical slot 42 for selective locking engagement with a diametrical rib 4 3 on the abutment plate 39. The opening 40 in the abutment plate 39 can have one or more fiat faces 44 (see FIG. 4) for engagement with corresponding flats 4 5 on the shank portion 36 of the hook 37 to prevent undesired turning of the hook 37.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 the body 126 of the harness adjuster 125 there shown, is preferably of shorter length and in place of the opening 31 for engagement by a hook 32 or the like, has a longitudinal extending bore 47 for the reception of the shank 48 of a hook 49 which shank 48 extends in threaded engagement with a transversely extending holding pin 50. This form of harness connector is particularly advantageous where the hook 37 is to engage in an eye 52 at the end of a harness cord 21 and the hook 49 is to engage with the eye of a connector 53 carried on the rail 11 and which may be of the tvpe shown in the patent to John I. Kaufmann, No. 3,047,029, of wear resistant and friction reducing material.

The harness adjuster 2.5, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, can be employed where the harness cord 21 has an eye 52 and the rail 11 has a hook 54. The hook 37 at one end and eye 31 at the other end is adaptable for con nections as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive. The harness adjuster 125 of FIGS. 5 and 6, with a hook 37 at one end and a hook 49 at the other end is suited for use where the harness cord 21 has an eye and the rail 11 has a connector 52 with an eye.

In the event of wear of the hooks 37 and 49 they can readily be replaced.

The thickness of the body 26 between the faces 27 prevents rubbing or abnad-ing of the rails 11 so that metallic deposits from the rails onto the fabric is avoided. At the same time smoother operation of the heddle frames for shed formation is attained.

I claim:

1. In loom harness, a heddle frame having top and bottom rails with opposite horizontally elongated side faces, a harness cord, and means adjustably connecting said heddle frame and said cord and guiding and separating adjoining heddle frames comprising a harness adjuster having members for varying the length thereof connected to said cord and to said frame, said adjuster having a body portion with opposite vertically elongated face portions spaced for rail face engagement a distance at least as great as the thickness of the rails for guiding the rails during shedding.

2. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which said face portions of said body are parallel to the side faces of the rails and said face portions of said body are spaced 4 a greater distance than the distance between the opposite faces of the rails.

3. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which said body portion is of wear resistant and friction reducing material for engagement with one of said rails.

4. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which said rails are of metal and said body portion of said adjuster has opposite side face portions engageable with contiguous rails of wear resistant and friction reducing material.

5. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which said body ortion of said adjuster is of nylon.

6. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which said body portion has an end hook having a threaded shank extending inwardly from one end and longitudinally between said faces, said body having an access opening between said faces of said body, an abutment plate at the outer end of said opening, a nut on said shank and engageable with said plate, and connecting means at the other end of said body.

7. Loom harness as defined in claim 6 in which said connecting means includes a hook receiving opening parallel to said faces.

8. Loom harness as defined in claim 6 in which said connecting means includes an end hook having a shank extending into said body and a securing member engaged with said shank.

9. Loom harness as defined in claim 6 in which said connecting means includes an end hook having a threaded shank extending into said body and a transverse pin with which said last mentioned shank is in engagement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,040,790 5/1936 Kaufmann 13988 X 2,050,495 8/ 1936 Maynard 13988 X 2,640,506 6/1953 Consoletti 139--88 2,900,203 8/1959 Hayden 287 2,903,283 9/1959 Sweetland 287-61 2,913,267 11/ 1959 Johnson 287-60 FOREIGN PATENTS 968 1891 Great Britain. 466,740 6/1937 Great Britain. 344,384 3/ 1960 Switzerland.

OTHER REFERENCES Textile Industries, vol. 126, No. 11, November 1962, Outs Harness Oord Consumption, p. 173.

ROBERT R. MACKEY, Primary Examiner.

DONALD W. PARKER, J. KEE CHI,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN LOOM HARNESS, A HEDDLE FRAME HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM RAILS WITH OPPOSITE HORIZONTALLY ELONGATED SIDE FACES, A HARNESS CORD, AND MEANS ADJUSTABLY CONNECTING SAID HEDDLE FRAME AND SAID CORD AND GUIDING AND SEPARATING ADJOINING HEEDLE FRAMES COMPRISING A HARNESS ADJUSTER HAVING MEMBERS FOR VARYING THE LENGTH THEREOF CONNECTED TO SAID CORD AND TO SAID FRAME, SAID ADJUSTER HAVING A BODY PORTION WITH OPPOSITE VERTICALLY ELONGATED FACE PORTIONS SPACED FOR RAIL FACE ENGAGEMENT A DISTANCE AT LEAST AS GREAT AS THE THICKNESS OF THE RAILS FOR GUIDING THE RAILS DURING SHEDDING. 